Such an amazing vibe! The decor was so cool and unique. Drinks were sooo yummy! If you stay in…read moreOliver inn they allow you to bring drinks to your room :) our server was personable and kind. Made our experience really special. Absolutley recommend.

Have been hearing about this place for years an so glad we finally got to go. If you are in Duluth…read moreand love speakeasy's, this is a must. The vibe is a little lounge-y and a little downton abby. There are little nooks to sit in everywhere. We got there early in the evening so it was quiet as far as people but the music was cranked up to club level. We ordered our drinks at the bar and were a little disappointed when the bartenders did not engage at all. Even when we asked questions. The drinks were done really well. All in all it was a fun place to check out!

Our experience was disappointing to say the least. we stopped in after dinner looking for some fun…read moredrinks; I ordered a ramble in rose and my husband got a Jack Straw. mine was okay; not great, but fine. his was absolutely terrible! we choked down most of it but it was really gross. the bar tender seemed very new and like he didn't know what he was doing, so maybe that explains the bad drinks? service was also incredibly slow.

We stayed in The Suites at Waterfront Plaza and noticed Hoops Brewery across the hall. But as I'm…read moretrying to take it easy on the gluten, I was very pleasantly surprised to find a little cocktail bar within the brewery! It's a small intimate space, and actually what drew me in was the live music. There was a female performer who was so incredible that I bought her CD even though I don't have a CD player... Anywho, I ordered a cocktail and then bellied up to the little wooden bar. The owner served my drink and she was so wonderful and gave us some local recommendations. The Viola Lee Aviarion featured locally distilled Vikre Spruce Gin and was pleasantly balanced. We loved all of the assorted vintage glassware too. We will def pass through here again when we're in the area for craft cocktails and convo with locals.

Their posted menu on website is baloney. They have a couple of burgers, nachos, but NO PIZZA. When…read moreI pointed out the discrepancy to bartender, he said he had no idea and would inform management. Doubtful. I suspect no one has looked at the website for months, possibly years, and likely no one really cares. Sorry this is one of my pet peeves for restaurants, especially touristy ones.

When coming to fitgers this spot hands down is one of my stops. The bar is this tiny-looking room…read morewith a giant bar. They have a great selection of whiskey and stock all of fitgers beers. The ambiance changes throughout the day depending on the people and this place makes a great people-watching location. The bartenders have always been friendly and kind and the service is very good. They do or use to have shows and events in another room that's connected to it and these are fun and can get kinda wild. Lots of the people who come here are here for conversation and watching the game and I have found mostly everyone very easy to talk to. If you have not been here I recommend coming on a Friday or Saturday evening. This is a good spot to pregame or to finish the night.

This place has grown a lot since my last review!…read more My mom and I came in wanting tacos and were in luck that it was taco Tuesday- they currently have a deal for tacos that we weren't even aware of. It's buy one get one tacos with the purchase of two drinks. I got a classic margarita and my mom ordered a fun mocktail- she was so glad she did. I can't remember which one she ordered, but she really enjoyed it. I got the pork tacos and my mom got the chicken and mango tacos. Plenty of food! We were pleased. Our service was good this time (compared to 7 years ago- wow! How has that much time passed since my first review here?!?) I'll keep coming back here. They have lots of good things on their menu and their staff as of late has been great.

We came here mid afternoon on a Saturday and had about a 15 minute wait which was no problem. We…read morejust grabbed a drink at the bar! We were seated outside on the patio area super nice. The service was a bit slow, but that's to be expected on a Saturday afternoon. We only got appetizers and drinks, but the apps were pretty good!

Absolute 5 star experience here. We entered right at they opened at 11 on a Saturday. I told our…read moresever that I had an event coming up at noon so we'd be ordering right away, and by golly, the staff took care of us. Drinks, followed by poutine 5 minutes later, then food about 10 minutes after that. We were all done within 30 minutes! The food was fantastic, too. Delicious poutine, with oozy gooey squeaky cheese curds. I had the smoked fish salad; it had the right amounts of everything and felt like a distinctly Duluth dish. My husband had the fish and chips. I had a bite of his fish, and it was perfect, with great batter and flavor. I would happily come here again on a visit. I can see why this is a city institution.

Intrigued by their homemade wild rice burgers, we decided to visit Fitger's Brewhouse for a dinner…read morewhile in Duluth. When we arrived a bit after 7PM, we had quite some trouble finding parking and ended up having to park a couple of blocks away after circling for 20 minutes. Walking in, the place wasn't too busy, perhaps 50% capacity. We were interested in ordering the fried cheese curds, but the server told us they weren't battered in house, so we passed on them. Smoked Fish Salad (Market Price, $18.99) - This is a pretty salad - all ingredients are arranged in rows along the dish. Mixing things together is a bit of a pain, but I appreciate the dressing on the side to add to preference. The dressing is an interesting blend of mayo and other ingredients, perhaps BBQ sauce, that make it slightly tangy and very sweet. There's an undertone of smokiness throughout, which tastes somewhat like liquid smoke rather than the dressing actually being smoked. It is on the sweeter side of dressings. Other than greens, there's a row of wild rice, dark and snappy, completely broken cultivated rice. There's also a bit of house smoked trout, nice and smoky. (4/5) Classic Wild Rice Burger ($16.99) - This is one of the tallest burgers I've seen in quite a while, mostly due to the inclusion of fresh vegetables including onion and tomato, and alfalfa sprouts. For some reason instead of using larger tomatoes, they use small roma tomatoes, including three small slices. They also used red onion that's chopped into a variety of different shapes instead of whole slices. It's really strange - I guess this saves on cost? Unfortunately smaller pieces means things fall out while eating. The patty is larger than the bun. It has plenty of broken wild rice bits giving some additional crunch and that signature wild rice taste. It's charred on the griddle well and it keeps its structure, not falling apart or becoming mushy at any point. I love how it's distinctively a rice burger and doesn't try to be a meat substitute. Two slices of American cheese are melted on top that gives some fattiness to the dish. The bun is toasted without butter and there's a flavorful garlic mayo spread on the top. It would be nice if they had also applied the sauce to the bottom bun as I found the patty to not have enough moisture or fat incorporated. The burger comes with some thin commercial fries. There aren't any issues with the level of fry and they are otherwise unremarkable. (4/5) Fitger's Brewhouse serves some solid good old fashioned Midwestern American food. Not much else to say. Bathrooms - Larger ones shared with the rest of the business in the building Food: [4/5] Service: [ ] Other: [ ] Final Rating: 4/5

If I could give this place 100 stars I would! I went to college in Duluth and anytime I'm back this…read moreis a must stop at restaurant! The appetizers are amazing, the sandwiches are even better, and the soups are to die for! They do have music performers sometimes and it's right on the lake! The service is incredibly fast even when they're busy. Can't wait to come back!

Order at the counter, get a number and find a seat. The pretzel and drinks were delicious. The…read moreEnglish dip was rather bland ( like a lot of English food), the Sir Pesto was delish! The band was LOUD. the desserts were different and tasty. The French silk pie had a bit of salt to elevate the chocolate and the bread pudding had apples! Great Brandy Old Fashioned and Long Island Iced Tea.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS PLACE! The menu is diverse, flavorful, and has something for everyone, while…read morethe staff is incredibly welcoming. Definitely a place I'll be coming back to! CRISPY BRUSSEL SPROUTS Sweet and spicy soy glaze with sautéed red peppers and scallions. These were a little too heavy on the sauce for my liking, but otherwise very good. If you're not a fan of sweeter flavors, this one may not be for you. BUFFALO MAC & CHEESE Cavatappi pasta tossed in a creamy mac sauce, topped with crispy buffalo chicken, blue cheese crumbles, and onion straws. We added bacon and chicken, and this was a top pick for us! The buffalo sauce had the perfect balance--not overly spicy, but enough flavor to complement the creamy mac and cheese. CPB CO. FISH AND CHIPS Craft beer-battered haddock served with Northcoaster fries and house-made tartar sauce. Another top pick for us! The fish was crispy, flavorful, and perfectly fried. Honestly, one of the best fried fish dishes I've had in Minnesota. Unfortunately, I can't report on the beer as I'm not a big drinker...Sorry! Overall, a fantastic experience with great food, welcoming service, and plenty of variety. Definitely one of my favorite spots in Duluth!

We had a great experience at Canal Park Brewing Company! Our server was friendly and attentive, and…read morethe food was delicious. The beer selection was a little smaller than we expected, but there was still a nice variety of styles, so everyone in our group found something they enjoyed. They also have a full bar with specialty cocktails. The food menu was surprisingly large with lots of unique and fun options to try. The only small downside was that the Brussels sprouts were still a little undercooked for our taste, but everything else was excellent and more than made up for it. Excellent brisket, fish n chips, and build your own burger! The garlic aioli and IPA mustard sauces were definitely memorable. Overall, it's a great spot for good food, craft beer, and a fun atmosphere located right on the pier. We'd definitely come back!

ACES on FIRST is AWESOME. This is literally the BEST place in Downtown Duluth, I think. The staff…read moreis so friendly, they alway ask how your day is going and over the years I consider them to be my BEST friends. Honestly, they've been there so much for me in the past (when no one else was there, they were) that any one of them could ask me to help them move a heavy ass hot tub, and I would in a heartbeat. The owner, Cade, is THE shit. Just look for the tall guy with the sweet hair and badass button up shirt and you'll know him when you see him. Best part is because he's so cool, all the people he hires to work for him are cool, thus the people that frequent there are cool, so by going there YOU are COOL by association. It's like one big cool club and everyone's invited. The amount of romances and babies that have resulted from ACES ON FIRST is probably what keeps the population of Duluth above the 2.1 children-per-woman needed to prevent a society's extinction. Do yourself a favor and pop in Aces. I know that when I die and I enter the white light, on the other side I'm going to emerge into Aces. Heaven IS a place on Earth...and it's called ACES. BTW Thank you Aces for directly hooking me up with he woman I'm in love with right now.

The bartenders are amazing. Great service. The DJ was a total jerk. So rude to us that we left…read more Nobody was on the dance floor and he refused requests. Totally condescending to my daughter's requests. Should be replaced Immediately.

Perfect small plates sharing experience for a night out with friends. The service was…read morefantastic--our server was knowledgeable about the menu and helpful with explaining portion sizes for sharing. This is an upscale tapas menu, expect small plates and a surprising mix of delightful, seasonal flavors. We enjoyed the trio of dips, our favorite was the muhammara--roasted pepper and walnut with citrus and pomegranate seeds. We added on an extra pita to soak up every bite. Next was the dolma, a delicious combo of flavors and twist on the traditional. The kale salad was perfectly dressed and grilled peach added just the right sweet contrast. The Lake Trout with couscous was outstanding but my favorite part of the plate was the chermoula--a tangy, herby olive oil concoction that I must replicate. The chef came by to talk to us and answer our questions. We each enjoyed a signature cocktail, I highly recommend the Limonada 75, an Italian take on the French 75 with limoncello. We wrapped up our experience sharing the Olive Oil Cake with a rhubarb compote and generous dollop of fresh whipped cream. We will absolutely be back, we have to try the halloumi, which was unavailable, and the pasta at the table next to us looked tasty. There was also plenty of variety for a vegetarian/pescatarian to choose from. Alto Pino is expensive, but worth it. A dinner shared between three people including sharing 4 small plates, dessert, drink, and 20%+ tip came out to about $70 each. You are also paying for the experience of tasting something new and unlike anything else offered in Duluth. Reservations were easy to make online, you should make yours today! PS I'd love to see their twist on traditional Spanish tapas like patatas bravas or pan con tomate on the menu!

The vibe is weird. The food is tiny. The prices are high for the amount of food they give you. Go…read moreto Saratoga instead!

They're in house brewed beer was pretty good. Live music was really good. Nice size space…read more Friendly bartender.

Comes a time in many men's lives when they hears the call of the old home town, and feel the…read morepassion of his ancestors start to well up inside him. Thus began the latest chapter in the life of Ed Carmody, born in Duluth, world traveler, grandson of some former scions of the early hospitality industry in Duluth. Ed's Irish immigrant grandparents built a mini-empire in Duluth in the late 1800s, starting a restaurant, acquiring hotels, and being a part of People's Brewing Co. a rather long-lived post prohibition beer company that lasted until 1957. Ed's genetic ambitions led him to create Carmody Irish Pub in Duluth, five years ago, add a Northshore branch, Carmody 61, and finally to add micro-brewing capability on site. Carmody's, at 308 East Superior Street in the heart of the "new" old downtown, opens daily at 3PM, has live music six nights a week, with 32 beers and 21 Irish whiskeys on hand in addition to his own micro-brews. Demand for the latter is causing him to double brewing output capacity this year. A believer in supporting local businesses as well as the locavore movement, Ed sources as much product locally as he is able to, and estimates that over 80% of the food products come from establishments within an hour of the Twin Ports. Carmody's food offerings include their takes on traditional bar food, with the addition of some Chicago favorites (one of Ed's major life stopping points), as well as an homage or two to Irish / UK specialties. Chicago style dishes include the "Maxwell Street Chicago Dog," dressed as one would find at hundreds of Chicago eateries, with mustard, cucumber, relish, peppers, tomato, and a dash of celery salt. Another Chicago legend on the menu is the Italian Beef sandwich, thin sliced roast beef slowly marinaded in a flavorful au jus, served on a fresh bakery roll and topped with mild or spicy giardiniera. Beef for the sandwich is sourced from Fraboni's on the range, and cooked at Carmody 61, which enjoys a larger kitchen and prep area than the Duluth outlet. A tribute to the cuisine of the UK and Ireland can be found in the bangers and mash, and his version of the Cornish pasty. If you're not familiar with the pasty, its a crimped, baked meat and vegetable pie, popularized by miners from the British Isles and Eastern Europe, who settled in the mining communities of Northern Michigan and Minnesota. The hand-held pie provided hearty fare for miner lunches. Ed says his version of the pasty has "Slavic" influences, rather than Cornish or Finnish. The pasty has become widely associated with the Finnish culture in Minnesota. Sausages at Carmody's are made from Ed's secret family recipes, built to the pub's specifications at Wrazidlo's Old World Meats in Duluth. Bread and rolls are an exclusive Carmody recipe baked by Duluth's Johnson's Bakery. Additional menu items include starters, sandwiches, wraps, pizza with some vegetarian friendly choices. The menu at the Two Harbors branch has different menu choices, including entrees and burgers. Taste experiences this visit included the pretzel appetizer with house made mustard, Italian Beef sandwich, and bangers with garlic mash. All were excellent. We look forward to grazing our way through the rest of the menu in the near future.